STANFORD, Calif. – Conrad Ukropina kicked a 45-yard field goal as time expired to give Stanford a 38-36 victory over Notre Dame in a regular-season finale with national playoff implications before a sellout crowd of 51,424 at Stanford Stadium on Saturday night.
There were eight lead changes – six in the second half – and a wild finish that knocked Notre Dame (10-2) out of the College Football Playoff and kept alive Stanford's slim hopes for the same, all on the foot of a former walk-on who was awarded a scholarship earlier this season.
"The big thing we talked about earlier today was belief," said David Shaw, Stanford's Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football. "Belief in the work we put in, belief in our preparation, and belief in our struggles. Belief that our struggles made us a better team."
The victory was an emotional one for Hogan, whose late father Jerry was a Notre Dame graduate. Hogan signals to the sky after every touchdown pass. Jerry and Kevin were regulars at Notre Dame Stadium. Asked if his father was somehow watching, Hogan replied, "I have no doubt. I feel it."
In his final home game, fifth-year senior Hogan completed 17 of 21 passes for 269 yards and four touchdowns. When Shaw handed Hogan the game ball in the locker room, both were in tears.
"Thanks Coach," Hogan said. "We've got to play USC next week."
Indeed, the Cardinal (10-2), ranked No. 13 by A.P. and No. 9 by the playoff committee, moves to the Pac-12 Championship Game next Saturday at Santa Clara's Levi's Stadium against the Trojans. The Rose Bowl is on the line, and maybe more.
Asked what he would say on Stanford's behalf to influence the playoff committee, Hogan responded, "Because we went 8-1 in the toughest conference in America. No one in the country wants to play us right now."
Victory seemed remote to all but those in cardinal and white after Notre Dame took a 36-35 lead on quarterback DeShone Kizer's two-yard run around left end with 30 seconds left. Stanford was down to 25 seconds after Christian McCaffrey's kickoff return gave the Cardinal possession at its own 27.
A Notre Dame facemask penalty on a short gain by Hogan proved crucial in stopping the clock and allowing the Cardinal to move into field-goal position if it could make a single play, and that's what happened.
Hogan found Devon Cajuste down the middle of the field for 27 yards to the Notre Dame 30 with 10 seconds left. It was the latest in a series of big catches, making down-the-middle grabs of 38 and 42 to set up touchdowns. In all, "Ironman" had five catches for 125 yards and a score.
"They were playing max prevent with three or four guys rushing," Hogan said. "We had Devon in the slot. Before he even broke, I knew where he was going to be."
Shaw said: "We saw some seam lanes inside. Kevin did a great job of looking off the safety and threw a bullet.
"I challenge anybody to find a better two-minute quarterback than Kevin. We put it in his hands."
A handoff to McCaffrey for two yards to set up Ukropina's kick with six seconds left, from the middle of the hashmarks. C.J. Keller had the snap and Dallas Lloyd the hold.
Cajuste, a fifth-year senior, had been slowed early in the season by injury and illness. Even though he'd been fully healthy for a few weeks, he remarked to Shaw this week that he felt he finally had regained his speed.
On his two earlier big plays, he had outdistanced the coverage and gapped the defense. Stanford needed those plays because the Cardinal had been unable to slow Notre Dame, which rushed for 299 yards and gained 533 altogether. The Irish averaged 8.8 yards for every offensive play. Josh Adams set a school freshman record with 168 yards rushing and Kizer ran for 128, and passed for 234 more. Notre Dame didn't even punt until the fourth quarter
The red zone, however, was a different story. Three times the Irish settled for field goals after drives were stopped inside the 20. Those stops would prove crucial for Stanford, which was unable to force a punt until the fourth quarter.
After a 10-yard TD pass to tight end Austin Hooper on the first play of the fourth quarter gave Stanford a 35-29 lead, the Cardinal had two fourth-quarter possessions with a chance to extend its lead, but had one first down in those drives combined, allowing the Irish one more chance. Notre Dame took advantage, driving 88 yards on 15 plays and taking 6:18 off the clock. Notre Dame converted on third-and-10 and fourth-and-1 during the drive.
Shaw chose not to call a timeout during the Notre Dame series, even as the clock would dangerously down. However, having the timeouts in his pocket enabled Shaw to run plays like the pass to Cajuste down the middle.
"I had zero doubt in my mind that Coach was going to make that call," Cajuste said.
Shaw knew Ukropina's range went out to 55. He made 15 of 17 field goals this season, including a 52-yarder against UCF, and was perfect on PATs this season.
"With Conrad out there, I had no doubt he would make it," Hogan said. "I wasn't worried. Never a doubt."
Ukropina said he wasn't nervous going into the kick, even after Notre Dame called a timeout to ice him.
"I actually like when they call timeouts," he said. "It gives the line more time to rest and really lock in. It's the same kick we've done 100 times in practice."
During fall camp, the team tried to simulate pressure by making Ukropina attempt a field goal before conditioning. If he missed, the team had to do extra conditioning. He never missed.
Ukropina also kept one piece of advice in his mind from special teams coordinator Pete Alamar: "You don't have to put on a cape. Just stay within yourself."
As the ball split the uprights, Some Notre Dame players dropped to the turf as Stanford players lifted Ukropina on their shoulders. He was the last player on the field and when he returned to the locker room, he was mobbed by teammates and the Legends Trophy, the Irish crystal on a redwood base awarded annually to the winner of the series, was hoisted into the air.
Notre Dame did a good job of containing McCaffrey, who was held under 100 yards rushing for only the third time this season. He finished with 94 yards on 27 carries. He also had 228 all-purpose yards, exceeding 3,000 this year and moving him into third on the all-time FBS season list.
Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly tried to combat McCaffrey's effectiveness on returns by putting all starters in on coverage.
"It was all about McCaffrey and making sure he didn't wreck the game from special teams," Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said. "It was all hands on deck."
McCaffrey had no breakaways, rushing or on returns, but increased his season rushing total to 1,640 as he closes in on Tyler Gaffney's 1,709 at No. 2 on Stanford's all-time list, and put in another 200-plus all-purpose effort.
But what of McCaffrey's Heisman chances?
"That's for everybody else to deal with," the sophomore said. "I'm just trying to win football games."
Remound Wright scored two touchdowns, on a 1-yard pass to open the scoring and a 1-yard run in the third quarter for a 28-23 lead. He has 14 touchdowns this season. Michael Rector was another standout, catching a 31-yard pass from Hogan down the left sideline just over a defender. It was first ruled that Rector was out of bounds when he made the catch, but the call was reversed, helping set up Stanford's second touchdown.
For Hogan, it was another big play in a game full of them.
"Kevin is a great competitor, and he's a class act," Kelly said. "That's what we expect when we play Kevin Hogan."
Stanford's first two scores sandwiched a 93-yard kickoff return by C.J. Sanders. By the time Notre Dame ran its first offensive play, only 1:48 remained in the first quarter. But it didn't matter to Notre Dame in a strong effort that ultimately went for naught. Notre Dame is ranked No. 4 by A.P. and No. 6 in the playoff rankings. The loss – especially one coming down to the final 30 seconds – was crushing to the Irish and anything but to Stanford.
"At some point in this game, it was going to come down to making a play to win," Shaw said. "It was going to come down to somebody."
That somebody was Ukropina … Hogan … Cajuste. A team of somebodies made a series of crucial plays. It was just the kicker's to complete.
"Great feeling," Ukropina said. "Great feeling."
Asked if Stanford felt the responsibility of carrying the Pac-12 in terms of national respect, Shaw had this response: "We represent Stanford. We're not carrying anybody. We don't worry about the other teams in the conference, we don't worry about what people say about us nationally. We're 10-2 with a really tough schedule – no 1-AA teams on there. We're 8-1 in the deepest conference in America. We have nothing to prove to anybody."